[Determination of pituitary hormones in cerebrospinal fluid in normal subjects and in hypothalamo-pituitary diseases. Secreting or non-secreting pituitary adenoma, empty sella syndrome, hypothalamic syndromes].

Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and serum concentrations of TSH, ACTH, FSH, LH, GH and PRL were measured simultaneously in 34 subjects divided into 3 groups: I--12 normal subjects (6 males and 6 females); II--12 prolactin adenomas (3 males and 9 females); III--5 empty sella syndromes; 3 hypothalamic disorders; 1 chromophobe adenoma; 1 pituitary dwarfism. It is concluded that:--pituitary hormones are the normal constituents of CSF but the level can be undetectable and in any case lower than the serum level; --there is a positive correlation between serum and CSF concentration of PRL when serum PRL is higher than 20 ng/ml, indicating that the CSF level is influenced by serum level; --in prolactin adenomas only prolactin is elevated in the CSF; --there is no correlation between the high level of CSF-PRL and a suprasellar extension of the adenoma.